1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to portable communication devices and, particularly, to a portable communication device managing available features of the portable communication device based on a detected speed of travel detected by the portable communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of cellular communications and portable communication devices, such as a cellular telephone, a person can stay connected through a telephone conversation or checking electronic mail at the cellular telephone wherever cellular communication service is available.
Many people now carry a cellular telephone with them wherever they go. Not all environments, however, are suitable for all types of cellular telephone use. For example, many people now rely on the ability to use cellular telephones while driving a vehicle. With the increased use of portable communication devices by drivers, many accidents have been caused by the diversion created when a driver attempts to both drive the vehicle and locate and answer a ringing cellular telephone.
While some features have been added to cellular telephones to facilitate “hands-free” use to reduce the distraction caused by the cellular telephone, such as voice activated dialing and headsets, other features, such as video streaming and email, only continue to expand the ways that a driver can be distracted by looking at a cellular telephone while driving. Further, for many drivers, while answering a call or viewing email is dangerous while in motion within a vehicle, a daily commute may include multiple long stops at lights or other blocked traffic areas, where a user could receive and place calls more safely; current cellular telephone settings, however merely allow a user to either enable or disable features, such as call notifications. Thus, if a user wanted to shut off a call notification feature while driving, but receive call notifications when stationary, the user would need to manually select to enable the feature when stationary and manually select to disable the feature when no longer stationary, causing further distraction if the user decides to try to disable a call notification feature once traffic begins to move again.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a method, system, and program for a portable communication device, such as a cellular telephone, to self-detect a speed of travel independent of any mode of transportation, and to automatically adjust the settings for features of the portable communication device based on whether the current speed of travel exceeds specified threshold values.